Podcasts for Educators. Podcasts by Educators.

4/17/16

Jon Laffoon is the principal of Pea Ridge High School in Arkansas, where they are using a dynamic schedule called the flex mod schedule to allow time to serve students, rather than students serving time. It is pretty remarkable and impressive.

Save $10,000 on paper because of 1:1

Don’t hire substitutes

Expectation is that teachers post everything to Google Classroom when they are absent.

Subs are just babysitters

Time serving students rather than students serving time.

Redesign cafeteria to make it a modern space like a starbucks.

Supervision of students.

3 Core Values: Leave no trace, be responsible, use time wisely

Teach them personal responsibility.

You have to take on a growth mindset to make changes.

Students skipping a class still happens, but it has not increased, though the way to work with kids has helped.

Phase Balance - can’t have every class meet 3 days (Phase 3) a week or every class meet 4 (Phase 4) days a week.

How to be a transformative Principal: Be student centered. Constantly assessing how we are doing. Build a team around you. Take ownership and pride in everything you do. Become connected. Find balance.
jlaffoon@prhs.k12.ak.us @laffoon_jon